The long post-operative rehabilitation process can now begin for Nils Eekhoff. The twenty-seven-year-old Dutchman, back home after going under the knife in recent days to resolve issues with both iliac arteries, confirmed through an update on his social accounts that he can begin, step by step, the laborious path towards returning to the saddle.

"Last week I successfully underwent surgery on both iliac arteries and now I have started rehabilitation at home," communicated the first-place finisher of the latest Nokere Koerse.

"At the moment I can walk short distances at home, but for most of the time I spend my days lying on the couch to minimize pain," explained the Picnic PostNL team rider who then thanked those who, in recent delicate days, ensured everything went smoothly without problems.

"I am grateful for the excellent assistance received at AZORG Moorselbaan Aalst: thanks to all the people on their team for the professional and warm support they gave me."

Eekhoff, long troubled by misfortune and various types of incidents during the last season, will now have to rely on all of his patience to fully recover his motor skills and, subsequently, gradually return to pedaling, with a comeback that, according to what his team has announced, should not occur before the month of May.

In the absence of the rider who, in 2025, brought the fourth-highest point total to the Dutch team, other elements within Iwan Spekenbrink's formation will have the opportunity and responsibility to fill his shoes in the races (Northern races and cobblestone classics) in which he would have been involved either as a domestique for various team leaders or, in some cases, as a potential finisher.